Average Little Troubles
by raspberriesandrum
Summary: Albus and Lily sit down together one afternoon in Hogsmeade and somehow the conversation turns to the embarrassing circumstances of Al's first kiss.


**Average Little Troubles**

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"This is absolute rubbish," scoffed Lily, tossing her mittens and today's copy of the Daily Prophet down on the table of their usual booth at the Hogshead with a loud smack.

"Mm?" hummed Albus around a forkful of chocolate mousse cake.

"Apparently Dad's run off to Brazil with no less than three well-bred Italian opera singers."

"He's in France with Aunt Gabby, he sent a letter yesterday. They're schmoozing the French Department of Magical Law Enforcement because they want to extradite that guy, the one who smuggles Fairy Dust into Knockturn Alley."

"I know that Albus," said Lily huffily, "It doesn't mean I'm not upset that the Prophet is printing this trash like some sort of tabloid gossip rag."

"The byline is by Rita Skeeter isn't it?"

"Of course it is," said Lily plopping down across from her brother, and tucking her knee up under her chin, "That woman is a menace."

"Yeah, but ever since she registered as an animagus Dad lost his leverage over her so there's not much to be done."

"Albus, can you just let me have a freakout for once in my life without being all reasonable and rational and monotone."

"Sorry sis, not in my nature."

"Ugh, well, whatever then," she said shaking her head, "What are you doing here without Rose and Scorpius? And how much cake have you eaten?"

She gestured to the pile of empty plates that were stacked neatly to the side of what looked to be and essay on the properties of moonstones.

"This will be the seventh slice. Dom's in the back making them."

Lily glanced over at the bar and, sure enough, Abe Dumbledore looked fit to be tied and kept glancing at the door to the kitchen as if he though Dominique was doing something that was likely to be explosive in there.

"As for Rose and Scor, they've abandoned me to shop for my Christmas presents, and told me they want some time alone to reaffirm their friendship as an excuse."

"Uh huh, and do they think you believed that?"

Albus shrugged, "Hard to say."

"So what are you getting them for Christmas?" asked Lily, "Did you do any of your shopping yet?"

"I'm done."

"What!"

"I've been done since November," said Albus laconically, taking a sip of his cocoa, "I do all my Christmas shopping through owl order."

"Well, what did you get Mum this year, cause I still can't think of anything."

"Mm. Mum was tough. I got Fiona to set aside one of the big tubs of raspberry ribbon crunch for me and paid for it the last time we were in the Alley."

"Fiona Fortescue?"

"Who else?"

"How did you manage that?" asked Lily.

Albus visibly winced.

"I may or may not have kissed her."

"You're kidding," she exclaimed, wide-eyed, "You kissed Fiona Fortescue!"

"Probably," said Albus.

"What do you mean probably? Either you kissed her or you didn't."

"I don't know if you could really consider it a kiss," Albus said frankly, "She tore my shirt-collar when she grabbed me, and I split my lip on her teeth. But it was very wet, and there was tongue involved for about two seconds, then I tried to back up and ended up knocking into a tray of dishes. Of course that sent Francine running in from the front. She took one look at us, bloodied up, covered in dish soap and on top of each other and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Then Fiona yelled at her and ran off and Francine took my money, ruffled my hair and proceeded to tell everyone in the ice cream parlor that she'd caught us making out."

Lily snorted and then burst into laughter herself, ignoring her brother's annoyed glare.

"That has got to be the worst first kiss story I have ever heard and that includes the one about Dad and Cho Chang."

"Just promise me you won't tell Jamie," he said, his tone as close to pleading as it ever got, "If he gets wind of this I really will never hear the end of it."

Lily just continued to laugh clutching at her stomach and drawing the attention of the rest of the pub's occupants.

Albus sighed in resignation and took another forkful of cake, "You are my one and only true love," he told it, "I'm renouncing my family so that we can be together and bask in our mutual love for the rest of our days."

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**AN:** Done for _Romi's Autumn Flashfic Challenge_ on HPFC. If you liked this please head over to the challenge thread and check out the other entries for this week! Next-gen isn't my strong point really so please review and let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter.


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